Block filling and molding apparatus



April 16,l 1929. F, J, STRAUS i 1,709,755

BLOCK FILLNG AND MOLDING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 16, 1926 @H1101 mug rein orcin the upper ends or corners'of the FRANCIS J. .STRAUR 0F NEW BLOCK FILLING AND Application filed November My inventionrefers to improvements in the manufacture of concrete blocks and the like, made of any suitable aggregate and binding material. Ordinarily, sucharticles are 5 formed by molding the plastic or wet raw material within the mold of a usual stripper block machine having the customary. cores, vertically moving' ejecting mechanism, etc., as is commonly used. in the art.' Ordinarily, the surplus material is remove 'from the top of the vmold after tampino' by striking of the-excess down to the lev-l the top edges of the mold, and'then smoothing and finally leveling the/.top of the block by lowering a finishing plate and driving it down to the final level of t usual tamps. It frequently happens in Such operation that the ends, yor one or more of the corners of hefmold top by the the block in thelmold do not nisli up true and level withthe middle, and at the edges, due to failureto fill the mold sufficiently at such parts, or 'for other reasons.. The result of such inequalityis'that` the'corners .are not filled V out true and with the proper density,.resultin `in imperfect articles when hardened. I invention overcomes this objectlon .by

block by a imitedfamountof surplus material,

i 3'0 which is left higher than the main level of the block and which is compressed into'such portions bythefinal pressing action of the iinishin plate.

he invention 'is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is a view in perspective, showing the .u' per ortion of a standard block vmold a apte to carry out the operation;

Fi 2 is a similar view in side elevation, showing the finishing hopper in position; l

Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the hopper.; Fig. @is a erspective viewof the formed unit as it is s a ed inthe mold: after scrapin -oi the surpus b the hopper;

ig. 5 is a vlew o the iinal pressed block, indicating the r ners;

Figr

is a diagrammatic `view in persptive, showing the outline configuration of a block beforecoinpression, with projection of the corners only; Fig. 7 is a' perspective detail vlew showing a. supplemental scraper.

lReferring to the drawings, '2 are'the side einforced upper-ends and'corp KENSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

nonnina' APPARATUS.'

1e, 192e. serial No. 148,673.

machine, omitting the usual cores and other customer working parts. j

Inwar ly of the end walls for any desired distance, the side walls are lowered, as-by beveled -depressions 4, or 'otherwise shaped down toa lower level defined by the intervening side Wall edges 5. These are on a' common lower level at eachl side, so that surplus material above the level of the several edges may -be removedclear across'from one side to the other.V f' 'Such removal is eected by the lower edges of a hopper 6, the lateral dimensions of which correspond, generally -to those of the mold.

The side and endwalls 7 8, of theshopper preferabl 'diverge upwardly, as shown, depending ownwardly along the middle, as at `9, below the shallower end Yportions 10, with the interveningconneeting'bevel 'or curve 11, so as to conformto the shape of the-'top edges -of'the sidefWalls'Q ,of the' mold when placed thereon, 'asin Fig. 2.

` In-such position, the ends of the hopper rest slidably on the opposite ends of the mold sothat, after it is vfilled and tamped, the surl plusmay be removed by 'sliding the hopper over laterally, to one side or-the other.- In

. consistency as the remainder of the lformed block, are pressed downwardly by the pressing plate in the usual way,`bringing the top surface of the block to a vcommon general level, as in Fig. 5. f

rlhesurplus material at the ends and corners is thus incorporated into the main end and corner portions of the block, with a corresponding increased compactness or density thereof at, such portions, which are otherwise irdinarily incompletely `filled. or comacte f ment, is ejected from the machine in' ,the usual way,'and with agreatly improved condition -asto' its symmetry and finish, so that when hardened, the resulting block isv much more nearly perfect. The reinforced fendsj and loo The block aslaJ whole, due to such reinforce- V corners, and' their increasedi density', with` sharpness of edge and continued finish of the walls, and 3 theend walls, offs. block molding Surface at all points-,pis shown. in Fig. 5, the 11o shaded parts of which indicate the reinforced portions.

While ordinarily the removal of the surplus across the middle of the top of the block by movement of the hopper in one direction only is usually sufficient to effectthe desired purpose,`reinforcement of the corners only may also be accomplished by a supplemental lateral movement of a scraper 12, as in Fig. 7.

Such scraper is similarly shaped as to'its lower edge portion so as to remove corresponding portions between the corners length- Wise of the block as wellA as sidewise. In such case, the hopper may be moved laterally of i the block in the manner described, -witli supplemental wiping by scraper 12, leaving projecting corner portionsonly, las clearly indicated in Fig. 6. v i In such case,the corner portions are compressed into the main body of the block' bythe pressing plate, bringing it to a common level in the saine way as above described. Sucli'corner reinforcement only may be utilized in connection with any cubical shape, as indicated'in Fig. G.

In the case of square blocks, the hopper and mold are, of course, of the .same length and width, so that a square hopper may be used first in one direction and then, after turning one quarter way around, in the other. In such case, the lowered portion 9 will operate both lengthwiseand crosswise, as described.

The general construction of the mechanism and its operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, andit may be applied and usedl in any of the well known standard designs of block making machinery, or may be changed or varied bythe skilled mechanic to adapt it to varying construc-` tions, shapes and installations. f The desired resulting effect of continuous uniformity as to surface and edges, with reinforcement of the physical body portion of the block Where itil is usually weak "or insuflicient, greatly adds to the appearance,

I efficiency, and standardization ofv building mold.

lblocks of the kind involved. lWhat I claim is:

1. In block molding apparatus, allowei" mold having'iits upper edges located-in varying horizontal and inclined planes, and an open bottom filling hopper'havingside walls with their lower edges yconforming` thereto and movable across the.upper edges of the 2. In block molding apparatus, a Alower mold having its upper edges located in varying horizontal and inclined planes, and an open bottom filling hopper having side walls with their lower edges conforming thereto moldy having its upper edges at opposite sides l depressed below the outer end portions of the mold top with intervening inclined edge portions, and an open bottom filling hopper having its side walls slidably mounted thereon with their edges conforming to theedges of the mold. K I

4. In a block molding apparatus, the combination o'f a lower rectangular block forming mold having vertical side and end walls with the end walls and adjacent short por- 'walls and short portions, with sloping edge portions connecting such 'depressed middle edge portions of the sides with their maxitions of the side walls on a common maxi-1' n'iuin height portions providing elevated ma-V` terial cavities iat each end of the mold, and l an open bottom filling hopper for the mold having sides and ends provided with 'lower .edges conforming to the form and planes of d l the upper edges ofthe mold for filling and movable laterally thereover for removalof surplus aggregate above theupper edges of .the mold. i.

5. In a block molding apparatus, the com-` bination of a lower rectangular block forininginold having vertical side'and end walls witlrtheend walls and adjacent short portions of the side Walls on a common maximum height'l'evel, the middle edge portions ofthe side wallsheing lower than said endv Walls and'short portions, with sloping edge portions connecting such depressed middle edge portions of the -sides with their maxi-1 mum height portions providingv elevated ina- ;terial cavities at'each end of the mold, and

an open bottom. filling hopper for the mold havingvoutwardly'flaringisides an'dfends providedy withlower' edges conforiniiig` to the L form .and 'planesof the upper edges ofthe ymold for `filling and movable'laterallytherel I over for removal of surplus aggregate above .the upper edgesofihe meid. f .'In'testimony whereoffI hereuntoafiix my signature.

FRANCIS J. STRAUB.

iio 

